Delivering ants to space, sloshy fluids for robotic satellites, a study on antibiotic drug resistance and other small satellites to the International Space Station can be a tough job, and now Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Va., can help carry the load.

Taking advantage of a recent launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), 12 tiny cube satellites, called CubeSats, were put into orbit as part of a future NASA missions.